World Food Day

World Food Day

Basic Information

World Food Day is observed on 16 October to bring people together to eradicate hunger and ensure food security and nutritious diet for all.


Observed on: 16 October

Organized by: UN, FAO

Introduced in: 1979 (by FAO), 1980 (by UN)

Observed: Worldwide


About World Food Day

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) decided to observe October 16 as World Food Day in November 1979. The UN General Assembly ratified this decision on December 5, 1980.

The date is selected as an honor of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 1945. The day is also famously known as the Food Engineer Day.


Activities and Programs on World Food Day

Many organizations and nations observe the day with different programs and events. They organize conferences, exhibitions and symposia on this day to observe the day. Other events include food festivals, workshops and presentations of particular issues around food production, distribution and security. Special initiatives like International Year of Rice are launched on this occasion.

Sponsored programs like dinner with celebrities, sports events, charity auctions, concerts, marches etc. are conducted to raise money. All the programs are aimed at raise awareness of problems in food supply and distribution and to raise money to support projects to aid in the cultivation of food plants and the distribution of food. Some programs like World Food Program and the International Fund for Agricultural Development are conducted with the concern of food security.


Theme for World Food Day

World Food Day 2020 Theme is “Grow, nourish, sustain. Together. Our actions are our future

World Food Day 2019 Theme was “Our Actions are Our Future: Healthy Diets for a #ZeroHunger World

World Food Day 2018 Theme was “A #ZeroHunger World by 2030 is possible” “Our Actions and our Future

2017 Theme: Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development

2016 Theme: Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too

2015 Theme: Social protection and Agriculture

2014 Theme: Family Farming: Feeding the world, caring for the earth

2013 Theme: Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition

2012 Theme: Agricultural cooperatives – key to feeding the world

2011 Theme: Food prices – from crisis to stability

2010 Theme: United against hunger

2009 Theme: Achieving food security in times of crisis

2008 Theme: World food security: the challenges of climate change and bio-energy

2007 Theme: The right to food

2006 Theme: Investing in agriculture for food security

2005 Theme: Agriculture and intercultural dialogue

2004 Theme: Biodiversity for food security

2003 Theme: Working together for an International alliance against hunger

2002 Theme: Water: source of food security

2001 Theme: Fight hunger to reduce poverty

2000 Theme: A millennium free from hunger

1999 Theme: Youth against hunger

1998 Theme: Women feed the world

1997 Theme: Investing in food security

1996 Theme: Fighting hunger and malnutrition

1995 Theme: Food for all

1994 Theme: Water for life

1993 Theme: Harvesting nature’s diversity

1992 Theme: Food and nutrition

1991 Theme: Trees for life

1990 Theme: Food for the future

1989 Theme: Food and the environment

1988 Theme: Rural youth

1987 Theme: Small farmers

1986 Theme: Fisherman and fishing communities

1985 Theme: Rural Poverty

1984 Theme: Women in Agriculture

1983 Theme: Food Security

1982 Theme: Food comes first

1981 Theme: Food comes first


Click here for List of Important Days or UN Observations

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